THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE RESOLUTION

INTRODUCED BY THOMAS, CUTLER, FAIRCHILD, FLECK, HORNAMAN, KIRKLAND, LONGIETTI, McGEEHAN, PARKER, REICHLEY, ROAE, SIPTROTH, SWANGER, TALLMAN, WAGNER AND YOUNGBLOOD, JUNE 30, 2009

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS, JUNE 30, 2009  

A RESOLUTION

Urging the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to refuse to comply with

the REAL ID Act of 2005 until such time as adequate funding

is provided by the Federal Government to cover the cost of

implementation and until amendments are made to the act

providing for decreased administrative burdens on the states.

WHEREAS, On March 1, 2007, the United States Department of

Homeland Security announced the Federal guidelines for state

implementation of the REAL ID Act of 2005 (Public Law 109-13,

119 Stat. 302) which established strict standards for the

issuance of state driver's licenses and identification (ID)

cards that must be implemented by December 2009; and

WHEREAS, The REAL ID Act of 2005 places an increased burden

on states and their residents alike by subjecting residents

seeking new or renewal driver's licenses and IDs to longer lines

at department of motor vehicles' offices, higher costs and

increased document requests and waiting periods and by charging

states for access to databases for the purpose of verifying the

immigration and citizenship status of residents; and

WHEREAS, The National Governor's Association, the National

Conference of State Legislatures and the American Association of

Motor Vehicle Administrators estimate that the REAL ID Act of

2005 will cost at least $11 billion annually over the next five

years to implement nationally, including an estimated $140

million in start-up costs and $50 million in recredentialing

costs for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania alone; and

WHEREAS, The limited funding appropriated by the Congress of

the United States for the implementation of the REAL ID Act of

2005 constitutes a virtual unfunded mandate on the states which

are already experiencing budget shortfalls in the wake of the

current economic downturn; and

WHEREAS, The REAL ID Act of 2005 mandates that the

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania link parts of its database to the

departments of motor vehicles of all other states, in effect

creating a single shared national database containing

information on every possessor of a state-issued ID that exposes

every state to the information security weaknesses of every

other state and threatens the privacy of every American; and

WHEREAS, At least 17 other states have passed legislation

that, to one degree or another, opposes the implementation of

the REAL ID Act of 2005; therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania be urged to

refuse to comply with the implementation of the REAL ID Act of

2005 until adequate Federal funding is provided to the states,

until the act is amended to provide for less burdensome

implementation and administrative guidelines and to provide for

greater securitization of information; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Chief Clerk of the House of

Representatives of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania transmit

copies of this resolution to the President and Vice President of

the United States, the Speaker of the House of Representatives,

the Majority Leader of the Senate, each Senator and

Representative from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the

Congress of the United States, the Secretary of Homeland

Security and the Governor of Pennsylvania.